Is dating a trainee I met at a law fair a recipe for disaster?

I have a massive problem LC. I am a law student and have met this guy. The problem is that he’s a trainee at a City firm and I met him at my university law fair. To further complicate matters he is at my dream firm. Having exchanged numbers we have been messaging non-stop over the last week. He has now invited me to London to spend time with him and meet some of his colleagues.

I might be overthinking this, but my concern is if (and that’s a big if) we start dating seriously could this jeopardise my chances of getting a place at the firm? What happens if we break up? For example, what’s to stop him bad-mouthing me to other lawyers at the firm. Alternatively, if we are still together, do City firms frown upon work relationships? Please help!

63 Comments

Anonymous

Jones Day Partner

Look, don’t waste your time with puppies when you can have wolves. Call me

(273)(0)

Patrick

Nov 7 2017 1:15pm

Top bantz.

Do you know Huey Lewis and The News?

(19)(0)

Rupert; a US Firm Associate

Nov 7 2017 1:21pm

I love the whole playlist, Patrick. By the way? I had a dinner with Paul last night, he’s in London.

(15)(0)

Norbert; a US Firm reject

Nov 7 2017 4:36pm

Ah! Poopert Bear!

Glad you could join us again.

How’s Pig-lit, your rotund writer friend?

(3)(0)

Rupert; a US Firm Associate

Nov 8 2017 12:53pm

Do you realise how hurtful and upsetting it is to make fun of someone’s name like that?

Who the fuck do you think you’re talking to???

I’m going to have Legal Cheek hand over your IP address and then take action against you with all the might of the firm I work for.

We’ll see who’s laughing then, Norbert.

You can await the call of my colleagues soon.

(0)(1)

Rupert; a US Firm Associate

Nov 8 2017 3:17pm

“People who live in glass houses, should not throw stones.“

You see, you rather poor imposter, I would never actually express myself in such a poor, tasteless, yobbish and frankly unfunny manner.

(2)(0)

Anonymous

Nov 8 2017 8:29pm

POOPERT! POOPERT!

POOPY POOPY POOPERT!!!!!!!

Jones Day puppy

Nov 7 2017 1:20pm

Did you get harassed while chairing it?

(0)(5)

Anonymous

Nov 7 2017 1:59pm

killed it, mate

(14)(0)

Not dissapointed

Nov 7 2017 2:15pm

Absolutely outstanding.

(2)(2)

Anonymous

Nov 7 2017 2:43pm

Not as outstanding as your spelling on “disappointed”

(9)(0)

Not dissapointed

Nov 8 2017 11:06am

My apologies, they don’t give us spellcheckers at IM. Then again there is a general attitude of floccinaucinihilipilification towards staff there.

(2)(1)

Someone who went to Westminster and was not touched by an MP

Nov 8 2017 8:06am

When are you going to bring out a book Jones Day Partner? It would be a first rate publication I think.

(2)(0)

Anonymous

Nov 7 2017 12:36pm

“To spend time with him and meet some of his colleagues”

Yeah, right.

(86)(1)

Anonymous

Nov 7 2017 1:12pm

In my days this was known as an orgy.

(69)(3)

Anonymous

Nov 7 2017 12:38pm

Don’t do it. There are plenty of other people to meet in the City outside the firm who you could potentially go out with. In my experience it is best to try and keep your work and personal lives separate, rather than risk them becoming muddled by overlapping.

(29)(5)

@nighthawkprof

Nov 8 2017 9:26am

Probably this

This is good “advice”

However — where’s the fun in that?

Life your life

(5)(1)

@nighthawkprof

Nov 8 2017 9:27am

And don’t forget — live your life as well

(9)(0)

Anonymous

Nov 7 2017 12:38pm

Chances are you won’t get a job there anyway….and even if you did, he would have probably left by then (you’re at least three years from starting training with them). I say, go for it.

(57)(1)

Toppsy Kretts

Nov 7 2017 12:48pm

The heck with it – why not?

(5)(1)

Anonymous

Nov 8 2017 12:54pm

How’s Timm doing?

(1)(0)

Anonymous

Nov 8 2017 8:30pm

As a parent, I got this gag.

(1)(0)

Tired

Nov 7 2017 12:52pm

Is this a legitimate problem… I mean as long as grad recruitment don’t find out – but that also depends on the size of the firm etc. What’s more important to you: your future or a date with some guy you will probably stop speaking to after three months…

(13)(0)

Not Amused

Nov 7 2017 12:59pm

How is this different from the ‘power imbalance’ which is currently being touted as ‘sexual harassment’?

(19)(9)

Anonymous

Nov 7 2017 1:08pm

I suppose the main part of it is that the trainee has no input into whether she gets a job or not, realistically.

(11)(0)

Anonymous

Nov 7 2017 2:26pm

But the implication. It is like when you take a lady out to sea on a boat and proposition her. The reality of the situation is not as important as her perception of the reality of the situation.

(19)(0)

Anonymous

Nov 7 2017 2:47pm

You can’t seriously be comparing the implication that not sleeping with a trainee will prevent her getting the TC with the implication that a woman not sleeping with a man on a yacht will end up badly for her?!

(8)(7)

I have a dinghy..?

Nov 7 2017 4:07pm

I think you missed the point….

(6)(0)

Anonymous

Nov 7 2017 10:59pm

“How is this different from the ‘power imbalance’ which is currently being touted as ‘sexual harassment’?”

…That a trainee has no power over the writer’s career so there is no power imbalance? And that in any case the writer is pursuing the trainee and not vice versa?

Comments like this make me doubt NA is really a lawyer.

(2)(0)

Mr. Charles

Nov 7 2017 1:03pm

Do it – lawyers date other lawyers all the time. If it were a partner or someone senior I would day hell no. But a trainee? Nahh don’t worry.

(12)(2)

Anonymous

Nov 7 2017 1:08pm

Just when you thought Legal Cheek couldn’t get any more desperate for content …

(129)(3)

Jones Day puppy

Nov 7 2017 1:12pm

People will be gossiping behind your back one way or another.

(10)(2)

Trumpenkrieg

Nov 7 2017 1:25pm

If he hasn’t made a move yet that means he’s a low T soyboy. Keep him around and turn him into your beta bucks after you’ve finished short-term romancing all the alpha brutes who don’t care about your feelings.

(8)(5)

Zyzzz

Nov 7 2017 1:59pm

FUARK BE PRAISED! Let’s go down the gym and get swole brah!

(10)(0)

Anonymous

Nov 7 2017 1:33pm

Lame content. Although LC is increasingly becoming like Heat magazine so probably a move in the right direction for their readership

(63)(2)

Anonymous

Nov 7 2017 1:47pm

Why is this news. Who submitted this to LC and what form of bad day was LC having before deciding “hey, I’m sure aspiring barristers, QCs and judges alike need to know about this!!”

I smell Katie King being involved

(57)(6)

Anonymous

Nov 7 2017 5:13pm

Agree. It’s just childish nonsense to pad out the LC website

(26)(2)

@nighthawkprof

Nov 8 2017 7:25pm

Really?

Ya think?

(0)(0)

Scrooge McDuck

Nov 7 2017 1:54pm

No one cares what trainees think so if he badmouths you to other people in the firm it will not be a problem.

(13)(0)

Dooge McFuck

Nov 7 2017 4:39pm

Yer noo a real Scotsman I kin tell!

Yer just a wee jobbie wi’ a trainin’ contract!!!!

(3)(0)

Dreamboat

Nov 7 2017 2:19pm

lol

(0)(0)

Anonymous

Nov 7 2017 2:27pm

I think this may be an advantage… shag your way to the top and all that

(11)(3)

Anonymous

Nov 7 2017 2:45pm

Definitely go for it. Be sure to be very giving, both in general and in the bedroom. Talk a bit about your aspirations so that he can feel wise when pseudo-mentoring you, but don’t rattle on about it all day. Give him lots of compliments. Tell his friends how great he is. Tell him how great he is. Do not be too demanding.

(12)(2)

Anonymous

Nov 7 2017 3:46pm

Pump and dump.

Gain 20 LAD points.

(13)(4)

Anonymous

Nov 7 2017 3:48pm

I think he might just want to have sex with you. That is completely fine. I am sure you will enjoy it, as will he. The added benefit is you are potentially doubling up with a bit of networking. Just remember, sex on the first date is fine and normal and don’t let “slut”-shamers tell you otherwise.

(9)(10)

Anonymous

Nov 7 2017 4:30pm

Fake or not, it certainly has everyone talking and is a welcomed distraction when reading 100’s of pages of the same old contract 🙂

(2)(26)

Anonymous

Nov 7 2017 5:15pm

Yes Katie and Tom have been busy posting in the comments section to justify this dribble

(145)(1)

Tom

Nov 8 2017 10:07am

Good point well made

(25)(1)

Anonymous

Nov 8 2017 11:31am

Certainly not KK or the like, its me a normal lawyer, working away on contracts which seem to be the same old contracts.

(1)(0)

Anonymous

Nov 8 2017 12:58pm

Bored with the same old contracts?

Do legal Aid crime!

Thrice the job satisfaction for thrice less the salary!

(0)(0)

Anonymous

Nov 7 2017 5:16pm

Slow news day?

(21)(0)

Anonymous

Nov 7 2017 5:30pm

I don’t understand why some people accuse Legal Chrek of dumbing down and are moving to a GCSE audience rather than qualified lawyers when they post great journalist articles like this.

(73)(0)

Anon

Nov 7 2017 6:51pm

One week eh? UCL or QMUL law fair are the chief suspects

(0)(0)

Anon

Nov 7 2017 6:51pm

Lol no, she said she lived outside of london.

(0)(0)

Anonymous

Nov 7 2017 8:38pm

Go to the drinks, just keep your thumb over the top of your bottle at all times.

(5)(0)

Anonymous

Nov 7 2017 11:09pm

Genuine advice here. I think that if this guy was a associate (or partner) I’d say leave it (as they might well be consulted on the recruitment process, and that might be a little weird), but as he is a trainee I don’t think there would be any problem from the recruitment perspective. As a trainee he would be unlikely to be in a position to badmouth you if it didn’t work out, and if he did it would just end up making him looking bad. I think it would be a bigger problem if you broker up after starting the TC — but honestly, as long as you keep it professional even that doesn’t have to be a disaster. Relationships between lawyers are common in City firms (because people spend so much time in the office), and not frowned upon (though he might get in trouble if it came to light that he got your phone number at a recruitment event!). If you genuinely like him I would say just go for it. Good luck, with him and with the TC search.

(4)(0)

Anonymous

Nov 8 2017 1:58am

This “conundrum” has KK’s paws all over it.

(29)(1)

Ciaran Goggins

Nov 8 2017 11:28am

If the cad dumps then get you Dad to thrash the bounder to within an inch of his life.

(1)(0)

Sexual Harassment Panda

Nov 8 2017 12:21pm

Did you know that when one little panda pulls on another little panda’s underwear, that’s sexual harassment? That makes me a sa-a-a-a-ad panda!

(3)(0)

Hoppy the “don't do stuff that might irritate your inner ear” badger.

Nov 8 2017 2:55pm

That’s right. Also don’t do stuff that will irritate your inner ear.

(1)(0)

Anonymous

Nov 8 2017 12:24pm

Who gets off with someone at a careers fayre ?

Weeeeeeeeird… Positively fucked up even.

(1)(0)

Sackers Partner

Nov 13 2017 12:22pm

Go for it, I went after the new paralegal and bedded him within the week. That chap certainly hoisted my flag….